Concealed chair apparatus



N. N. HUFFAKER 2,961,034

CONCEALED CHAIR APPARATUS Nov. 22, 1960 Filed May 5, 1958 INVENTOR. Nordell N.Huffoker United States Patent CONCEALED CHAIR APPARATUS Nordell N. Huifaker, 655 Galisteo, Apt. 3,

Santa Fe, N. Mex.

Filed May 5, 1958, Ser. No. 732,996

1 Claim. (C1. 155--83) The present invention relates to a new and novel concealed chair apparatus, and more particularly to a con cealed chair of the type which is adapted to be built into another piece of furniture such as a table or the like.

The present invention is particularly directed to a high chair of the type employed for seating infants. When infants are fed and seated at the dining table or the like, separate high chairs of conventional construction are ordinarily employed. Such high chairs, of course, are rather bulky and difficult to move about, and accordingly it is very desirable to have a high chair which may be built into the table structure such that it can merely be drawn outward into operative position.

Such a high chair construction wherein the apparatus is supported immediately under a table top is highly advantageous since the high chair is always available at the table, and may be easily and quickly urged into operative position. Such a construction automatically adjusts the high chair such that it is in proper height relationship to the table, and, of course, it will automatically be disposed closely adjacent to the table such that an infant seated therein is held in desired position.

The high chair construction according to the present invention may be quickly and easily urged outwardly into operative position, and may subsequently be moved into concealed position merely by grasping the back seat supported on the track members and is disposed in spanning relationship therebetween. The cross member includes a cut-out portion at one end thereof which defines a pair of spaced arm rest members. The chair seat and chair back portions are pivotally supported directly from the arm rest portions, and when in folded concealed position, the chair seat and chair back portions are adapted to fit within the. opening provided in the end of the cross member. The arm rest members also form part of the slidable supporting means which engages the tracks of the apparatus, thereby providing an extremely compact structure whereby the support members, which are slidably supported on the tracks, also serve the second function'ofserving as arm rest members. .The number of components according to the present invention is reduced to a bare minimum, and the manner of interconnection therebetween is extremely simple.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel concealed chair apparatus which is adapted to be mounted beneath a table top or the like and to be slid inwardly and completely concealed from the eye.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a concealed chair apparatus which may be easily operated with a minimum of effort, and which automatically swings into proper operative position when drawn outwardly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a concealed chair apparatus which is very compact and simple in construction, yet which is sturdy and reliable in operation.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when considered in connection with the accompanying specification and drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a table incorporating the concealed chair apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the table top with the chair apparatus supported therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a top view of the concealed chair in hidden position, with a portion of the table top broken away to more clearly illustrate the details of construction.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 a table indicated generally by reference numeral 10 and including a table top 11 supported by four legs 12 at the corners thereof in a conventional manner. Legs 12 are provided with suitable cross brace members 13 for providing a rigid support structure. The concealed chair apparatus indicated generally by reference numeral 15 is shown in operative position in Fig. 1 wherein it has been drawn outwardly from beneath the table top. It is apparent that the high chair has a very pleasing appearance, and accordingly it is considered preferable to the conventional high chair structure which, of course, is very bulky and often quite awkward in appearance. It is also evident that the high chair apparatus is automatically disposed in proper position relative to the table when drawn outwardly, and therefore requires a minimum of effort when it is set up.

Referring now to Figs. 2-4 wherein the constructional details are more clearly illustrated, a pair of elongated spaced support members 20 are disposed adjacent the undersurface of the table top 11, and elongated track members 21 are disposed in contact with the lower surface of support members 20. Members 20 and 21 are provided with suitable spaced aligned openings through which suitable wood screws or fasteners 22 are extended and threaded into the undersurface of the table top, thereby fixing the track members in spaced relationship to the undersurface of the table top. The track members preferably extend to a point spaced a small distance inwardly from the edge of the table top, and may extend from one side of the table to the other. It is apparent that the high chair apparatus, according to the present invention, may be inserted from either side of the table since the track structure is symmetrical, and furthermore if the table is of suflicient dimension, a concealed chair apparatus according to the present invention may be mounted at opposite sides of the table.

As seen most clearly in Fig. 4, a cross member 25 is disposed in spanning relationship between track members 21, and is provided with a cut-out portion 26 in one end thereof. Cut-out portion 26 defines a pair of laterally extending elongated arm rest members 27 which are also supported upon track members 21. A first pair of downwardly projecting brackets 30 are connected to the inner opposed faces of the arm rest members by suitable screw means, and a second similar pair of downwardly projecting brackets 31 are connected adjacent the outer ends of the arm rest members. As seen in Fig. 2, the lower portions of the brackets 3'0..are inset inwardly toward one another at 30, and the lower portions of bracket members 31 are inset in a similanrnanner.

A pair of link members 35 are pivoted at the upper endsthe'reof to the lower inset portions of brackets 30, and the lower ends of each of links 35 are pivotally connected to opposite edge portions of the chair seat member 36. Chair seat member 36 may be formed of a suitable material, such as wood or the like, and may also be provided with a soft padding material on the upper surface thereof, if desired; A chair back member 49 is provided with outwardly extending rounded portions 41 at the upper edge thereof for providing a more pleasing appearanceand further providing additional support for the shoulders of the infant supported therein, and the opposite side edge portions thereof are'pivotally connected to the lower ends of brackets 31. The surface of the chair. back member 40 may also be provided with suitable ornamentation, such as small animal figures or the like, as are conventionally employed in infant furniture.

It is apparent from the foregoing that each of the chair seat members and chair back members are pivotally supported from the arm rest members, and are additionally connected at the adjacent end portions thereof to one another. A pair of flattened elongated connector members 45 are connected to opposite edge portions of chair seat member 36 adjacent one end thereof, and a similar pair of flattened elongated connector members 46 are connected to opposite edge portions of chair back member 40 adjacent the lower edge portion thereof. The adjacent ends of connector members .45 and 46 are pivotally connected to one another by suitable rivets 47, and as seen most clearly in Fig. 4, the lower end of connector members 46 are ofiset outwardly so as to fit snugly alongside the outer ends of connector members 45.

As seen in Fig. 4, the chair apparatus is disposed in concealed position beneath the table top, and in this position, it is evident that the chair seat member 36 and the chair back member 40 are positioned within cut-out portion 26 of cross member 25. Cross member 25 and integral arm rest members 27 have been urged inwardly apparatus is very compact and simple in construction, and may be easily operated with a minimum of effort, and is automatically disposed in proper operative position when drawn outwardly. In this-manner, conventional bulky high chair structures are eliminated, and the chair apparatus is always disposed in a handy position, whereby it can immediately be drawn into the proper position relative to the table.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereofythe. present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functionalas well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by the claim.

I claim:

Concealed chair apparatus which comprises a pair of spaced track members having substantially horizontally disposed supporting surfaces and oppositely facing inner side edges, a chair comprising a cross member slidably supported on the upper supporting surfaces of said track members and disposed in spanning relationship between said track members, a cut-out portion formedin one end of said cross member and defining a pair of spaced elongated laterally extending arm rest members formed integral with said cross member, said arm rest members having opposed inner faces spaced from one another, the inner faces of said arm rest members being spaced from and disposed inwardly of said inner edges of the track members, a first pair of bracket members secured to the opposed inner faces of said armrest members and projecting downwardly therefrom, the lower portions-of said first pair. of bracket members being offset inwardly toward one another, a plurality of links having the upper ends thereof offset outwardly from the lower ends thereof and said last-mentioned upper ends being pivotally connected to the lower portions of each of said first pair of along track members 21 to the position shown in Fig. 4.

When it is desired to dispose the chair apparatus in operative position as seen in Fig. 1, it is merely necessary to reach under the table top and grasp the top edge of back seat member 40 and pull. outwardly thereon. As member 40 is drawn outwardly from beneath the table top, cross member 25 and integral arm rest members 27 will be urged outwardly, and as the entire apparatus is slid outwardly along the track members, it simultaneously pivots into the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The chair apparatus is then in fully set up position and no further adjustments are necessary. When'it is desired to return the high chair into its hidden position,

it is merely necessary to again grasp the upper edge of the back seat member 40 and simultaneously tilt and urge the member 40 inwardly. Upon tilting movement of member 40, thechair seat portion 36 and back seat portion 40 wikl assume anintermediate position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and subsequently will be pivoted further into the aligned position shown in Fig. 4.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is provided a new and novel concealed chair apparatus'which is especially adapted to be mounted beneath the top of a table or similar structure. Thehigh chair apparatus according to the present invention is completely hidden when disposed in concealed position, and provides an attractive eX- ternal appearance to the table itself. The concealed chair bracket members, a chair seat portion, each of said links having the opposite end thereof pivotally connected to an outer edge portion of said chair seat portion, a second pair of bracket members secured to the opposed inner faces of said arm rest members and projecting downwardly therefrom, the lower portions of said second pair of bracket members being ofiset inwardly toward one another, a chair back portion having intermediate portions of the opposite edge portions thereof pivotally connected to the lower portions of said second pair of bracket members, a pair of connector members secured to said opposite edge portions of each of said chair seat portions and said back seat portions, and'adjacent end portionslof said connector members being pivotally connected to each other, said chair being supported solely by said track members and being freely pivotable in its erected position, said seat and back portions being adapted to pivot into' a plane spaced below said track members with the outer edges of the seat and back portions spaced inwardly of said track members whereby there is no interengagement between the seat and back portions and said track members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,304,368 Purcell May 20, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,107 Great Britain Feb. 26, 1920 

